


Dancing With Our Hands Tied

by Slytherin_vikiss



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, F/M, or several actually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27414811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherin_vikiss/pseuds/Slytherin_vikiss
Summary: Lexie didn’t mean to fall for one of her brother’s tormentors.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Ali Mills, Dutch (Karate Kid)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Chapter 1: Noble but stupid

  
  


Lexie LaRusso turned her walkman on and started nodding to the song playing, her hand running over the blank page in swift, light motions. Figures flourished from the white paper, their shapes almost cartoonish.

She grimaced. Not good enough. The temptation to rip off the page and burn it was great, but instead she tried to salvage her work.

After a few minutes, she left the notebook on top of the small coffee table and stood up. Maybe she could go outside for a few minutes, the change in lighting could do her some good. It was a trick her old art teacher back in Jersey had taught her.

Grabbing an apple and helping herself to a glass of water, she quietly opened and closed the door, not wanting to awake her mother. The California air was nice to her hot skin, cooling the thin layer of sweat that covered her.

Lexie took a bite, looking around the complex. It wasn’t the greatest place to be in; it was neither better or worse than her old home in Newmark; it just  _ was _ , she supposed.

_ “It’s still a roof over my head.” _

She, just like her older brother, hadn’t been thrilled to move all the way across the country. She didn’t want to leave the rest of her family or friends, but it wasn’t as if she had much of a choice. Her mom, Lucille, swore that they had hit the jackpot with this job offer she’d gotten. Being a single mother in charge of two kids couldn’t be easy, so Lexie did her best to not give her mom further hardships. She helped her around the house, cleaning and cooking; she never asked for anything unless absolutely necessary, and as of recently, she kept her opinions on the move to herself. Her brother also helped, but he didn’t mind giving everyone a piece of his mind (even though anyone rarely asked him).

Lexie closed her eyes, clearing her head, enjoying the air and the way her curly hair was pushed back, the locks brushing her shoulders.

A grunt had her heart jumping up into her throat. She looked around, her eyes of melted silver finding a moving figure on the staircase, advancing towards her.

“Daniel?”

Her older brother stopped, hidden in the darkness.

“Oh, hey, Lex. Didn’t know you were up.”

“Couldn’t sleep. How was the party?” she asked, hiding the bitterness. 

She hadn’t been invited, and Daniel had been less than thrilled when their mom suggested that he take her with him.

“I don’t wanna go. Stomach ache.” she had blatantly lied, anything so long as she didn’t have to reveal her hurt.

“The par-? The party? Oh, it was great, yeah. You should’ve come.”  _ liar.  _ “We played soccer, the hot dogs were great-”

“They’re just hot dogs.”

“Yeah but these were something else, I tell you.”he hesitated, still not coming closer, and she felt her sixth sense tingling. “So, you planning on staying out much longer?”

Lexie pursed her lips.

“Actually yeah. The entire night. I wanna see the sunrise.” Daniel sighed, and she rolled her eyes. “C’mon, Dani, what is it?”

“Okay, but just, don’t freak out. And don’t wake mom.”

The only answer she gave him was a non-comitional sound.

Slowly, Daniel stepped further into the light, and Lexie’s eyes widened.

“Crap, Daniel, what happened to you?”she rushed to his side and took his face in her hands. He hissed and she apologized. “Who did this?”

“Don’t worry, okay? You should see the other guy.”

She snorted.

“Yeah, right.”

“I mean it.”

“Mhm.” she pulled him further near the light coming from their living room. It looked nasty. “Can you see? Does it hurt too much? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“Yeah, no, no. It’s nothing, really.”

“I can cover it with makeup if you want.” The look he gave her was answer enough. “How did it happen anyway?”

“This guy was just being an ass to a girl at the beach. He broke her radio and all.”

“Douchebag.”

“Right?!”

She wanted to tell him he shouldn’t have gotten involved, but she didn’t. As stupid as he was, he meant well. As annoying as Daniel was, he was a protector. They may not like each other too much, but at the end of the day, Lexie knew her brother would be on her team. She couldn’t remember all the times he’d gotten into some fight or another over her.

“Mom’s gonna freak out.”

“Is she asleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then she won’t see me.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“Oh, shit.” he swore softly, staring into the distance. Lexie shook her head, unfazed, taking a sip from her water. “Can I have your sunglasses?”

“That’s your plan? Why not makeup?”

“That stuff’s for girls, Lex!”

“That’s not true! What about actors?”

“They don’t wear makeup.” he argued, like the idea was ridiculous.

“They do!”

“Whatever.” he rolled his good eye, and one of his hands flew up to the other. He snatched her glass and pressed it against his face. “Just give me the glasses, I promise I won’t break them.”

“You know that’s gonna stay there for a while, right?” she pointed at the glass which hid the bruise. “This plan of yours won’t last.”

“Please?”

“...Fine.”

“Thank you! Thank you, Lex!” he cheered up immediately, smiling through his pain and leaning in to kiss her cheek. The girl just watched him, unimpressed, as he skipped his way into their new home. “Thanks, Lex, really.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t wake mom, fart-face.”

He gave her a thumbs up and headed in.

Lexie turned her gaze back into the night, the sporadic sounds of cars and bikes passing nearby and the lack of people giving her a sense of meaningless and solitude despite her silly brother moving about inside the apartament just a few meters from her, and the others inhabitants of the complex.

Last year, she had spent the last night before going back to class at a friend's house. They watched movies, ate until their stomach hurt and came up with silly choreographies to some of their favourite songs at the moment. Now she wasn’t sure if she’d ever see them again, and the idea of going to a school and not knowing anyone bought some anxiety and despair to her.

She hoped she’d make a friend, but at the same time she hoped not to.

God, she was almost as stupid as Daniel sometimes. She took a few, final small bites from her apple and checked her wrist watch.

She headed back in, locking the door and tip toed her way to hers and Daniel’s room. He was already in pajamas, tossing a baseball.

“Hey, you nervous about tomorrow?” he whispered.

She looked up and tripped over a box, cursing loudly as she went down and a clattering sound followed.

“Lexie! Bed! Now!” their mom’s voice was heard.

Daniel had his fist in his mouth, his shoulders were shaking.

So much for not waking her up.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what I'm doing.


End file.
